Teachers in Hawaii’s two Zones of School Innovation voted to work longer school days in exchange for a raise. Union president Wil Okabe issued the following statement this evening after votes were tallied:

Tonight our colleagues, the teachers most impacted by Race to the Top, have voted to approve a new agreement.  80% voted yes, in favor of a tentative agreement for extending learning time.  The RTTT schools include the Waianae, Nanakuli, Kau-Keaau-Pahoa Complexes, and the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind.

We have been working over the years to get fair compensation for our teachers.  We are hopeful that the concepts in this agreement are a step in that direction.  While the agreement only affects the extra instructional time teachers will be required to give their students in the Zone schools, we are hopeful this collaborative agreement gives us a good foundation for the HSTA and the State to build upon in a master agreement for all teachers. 

Thank you to our Negotiations Team and Committee for their hard work and collaboration in making a unanimous recommendation on something that provides a positive benefit to both students and teachers.  The extended learning time agreement in our Zone schools is a win for students who will get much needed additional learning time, while fairly compensating teachers for their work.

Congratulations to those teachers and schools who have already been working collaboratively with the DOE for over a year and are looking forward to this settlement.  Mahalo to all our members for putting students first every day. 

Please continue to watch for our negotiations updates and informational pieces regarding your collective bargaining agreement settlement.

Sincerely,

Wil Okabe

President